Method of making a printed impression on leather or similar material having a mottled surface



March 12, 11935;- F. A. PUTNAM 1,993,306

. METHOD OF MAKING A PRINTED IMPRESSION ON LEATHER 1 0R SIMILAR MATERIALHAVING A MOTTLED SURFACE Filed Aug. 1'7, 1932 Fig.1. I

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Fred A. PuTncJm bymwkw ATTys.

Patented Mar. 12, 1935 I UNITED E VPA'TENTQOFFICYEI METHOD OF' MAKING A-PRINTED IMPRES- SIGN ON LEATHER OR SIMILAR MATE-' RIAL HAVINGA MOTTLEDSURFACE Fred A. Putnam, Keene, N. H., "assignor to 'Markem MachineCompany, Keene, N. 11., a corporation of New Hampshire ApplicationAugust 17, 1932,: Serial No. 629,092 3 v i 1. Claim'.- (Cl. 41-26).

' In the manufacture of some articlesg such for instance as shoes orhats, it is customary'to' place on some part of the article a printedimpression giving certain data concerning the article. In the case ofshoes, for instance, it'is commonto print on the lining on some otherpart of the shoe the data indicating the size if the shoe, the casenumber, the stock number, etc. In the case of articleslike hats it ismore or less customaryto print on the hat band either the name of thehat or the trade-mark under which the hat is-sold or some other similardata.

If the surface of the material on which the printed impression is to bemade is mottled or variegated the printed impression is often not easyto read because of the mottled or variegated character of the surface.Leather known to the trade as merrichrome leather is an example ofleather which has a mottled surface which is of such a character that aprinted impression thereon is rather difiicult to read.

I An object of the present invention is to provide an improved method ofmaking a printed impression on material of this character which willstand out distinctly and can be easily read.

In carrying out my improved method I apply to the mottled face of thematerial on which the printed impression is to be made and at the spotwhere such impression is to be printed a background of a colorpreferably contrasting with the color of the ink with which the printedimpression is to be made so that when the printed impression is appliedto the background it will stand out prominently and can be easily read.

This background can be laid on the mottled surface either before orafter the printed impression is made, the important thing being thatwhen the operation is completed the printed impression appearson abackground which has a color contrasting with that of the ink with whichthe printed impression is made.

In order to give an understanding of the invention I have illustrated inthe drawing a selected embodiment thereof which will now be describedafter which the novel features will be pointed out in the appendedclaim.

Figs. 1 and 2 show different steps in making a printed impressionaccording to the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a View of the die or element which may be used for applyingthe background;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view through the die showing it in a printing headof a marking machine and showing its manner of use.

Inasmuch as the invention is applicable to the making of printedimpressions on articles of various kinds I have not shown in the drawingany particular. article of manufacture ,but have instead illustrated theinvention as it would be carried out 'in applying a printed impressionto a piece of leather or similar material having a mottled surface,which piece of leather might be part of a shoe or "part of any otherarticle of manufacture.

"In the drawing l'is a piece of leather or similar material'which has amottled surface 2 on which it is desired to make the printed impression.As stated above this. piece of leather or similar material 1 might bepart of a shoe or part of any other article of manufacture.-

Because of the character of the mottled or variegated surface 2 anordinary printed impression applied to said surface 2 would be quitedifficult to read. In order to make such printed impression easilyreadable I propose to apply to the variegated or mottled surface 2 atthe point where the printed impression is to be made, a backbround 3which will preferably be of a color contrasting with that of the inkwith which the printed impression is to be made. Such background 3 maybe laid on the surface 2 in any suitable or approved way. One convenientway is to employ a die or stamp constructed to take ink or itsequivalent and apply this ink or its equivalent to the mottled surface 2to form the background 3.

The printed impression which is formed on the background is indicated at4 and in the form in which the invention is illustrated this printedimpression is one which might be used on shoes and it gives the size ofthe shoe, the case number and the stock number. The character oftheprinted impression, however, will vary according to the article to whichit is to be applied.

The shape and extent of the background may also be varied according tothe character of the article to which the process is applied. In theillustrated embodiment of the invention I have provided a'diamond-shapedbackground formed with a border.

A suitable die for laying this background 3 on the mottled surface 2 isshown in the drawing and it comprises a body member 6 having a recess 7in its face in which is received a pad 8 of felt, rubber or similarink-retaining material which is of the size and shape of the desiredbackground 3. With this form of die the background 3 can be laid on themottled surface 2 by first inking the surface of the pad 8 and thenpressing the pad against the mottled surface 2 as shown in Fig. 4. Insaid figure the body member 6 is shown as carried in a printing head 9of any usual marking machine and which is adapted to be moved toward andfrom a work support or platen 10.

The piece 1 to have the background printed thereon may be placed on theworkv support 10 and then the printing head 9 may be operated to bringthe inked surface of the pad 8 against the mottled face 2 of the element1 thereby producing on said mottled face 2 the background- 3, whichpreferably will be of a uniform color.

In the particular construction shown the background 3 is provided witha. border 11 and this may be provided for by making the body 6 of theprinting element with a border-printing portion 12 which surrounds thepad 8 but is spaced there from. This border-printing portion 12 willhave a face adapted to take ink from an inking pad and transfer it tothe mottled face 2 at the time that the background is printed.

The printed impression 4 may be laid on the material 1 either before orafter the background is applied thereto. If the background 3 is laid onthe mottled surface 2 then the printed impression 4 will be printed onthe background 3 to produce the final result shown in Fig. 2. The inkused in making the printed impression 4. will have color whichcontrasts. sufficiently with the color of the background so that theprinted impression can be easily read.

Under some conditions it may be satisfactory to first lay the printedimpression 4 on the mottled surface 2 and then afterwards lay thebackground 3. For instance, if in making the printed impression 4 thetype characters are caused to be embedded more or less in the surface 2so that the printed characters will be below said surface 2 then it willbe possible to lay the background on the mottled surface 2 after theprinted impression is made. The laying of the background would notobliterate the printed impression because of the fact that thecharacters forming the printed. impression 4 are sunken somewhat belowthe surface 2 on which the background is laid.

While I have described some ways in which the invention may be practisedI do not wish to be limited thereto.

' I claim:

The method of making a printed impression on merrichrome leather whichhas a uniformly mottled surface, which consists in coloring theuniformly mottled surface of the leather at the place where the printedimpression is to be made to form a background which obscures the mottledcharacter of the mottled surface and printing the printed impression onsaid place in a color which contrasts with that of the background.

FRED A. PUTNAM.

